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Displaying publications 21 - 28 of 28 in total

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Fulltext Eating with our eyes: From visual hunger to digital satiation

Spence C, Okajima K, Cheok AD, Petit O, Michel C

Brain Cogn, 2016 12;110:53-63.
PMID: 26432045 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.08.006

One of the brain's key roles is to facilitate foraging and feeding. It is presumably no coincidence, then, that the mouth is situated close to the brain in most animal species. However, the environments in which our brains evolved were far less plentiful in terms of the availability of food resources (i.e., nutriments) than is the case for those of us living in the Western world today. The growing obesity crisis is but one of the signs that humankind is not doing such a great job in terms of optimizing the contemporary food landscape. While the blame here is often put at the doors of the global food companies - offering addictive foods, designed to hit 'the bliss point' in terms of the pleasurable ingredients (sugar, salt, fat, etc.), and the ease of access to calorie-rich foods - we wonder whether there aren't other implicit cues in our environments that might be triggering hunger more often than is perhaps good for us. Here, we take a closer look at the potential role of vision; Specifically, we question the impact that our increasing exposure to images of desirable foods (what is often labelled 'food porn', or 'gastroporn') via digital interfaces might be having, and ask whether it might not inadvertently be exacerbating our desire for food (what we call 'visual hunger'). We review the growing body of cognitive neuroscience research demonstrating the profound effect that viewing such images can have on neural activity, physiological and psychological responses, and visual attention, especially in the 'hungry' brain.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
Preliminary validation of the Malay Yale Food Addiction Scale: Factor structure and item analysis in an obese population

Swarna Nantha Y, Abd Patah NA, Ponnusamy Pillai M

Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2016 Dec;16:42-47.
PMID: 28531454 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.08.001

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Researchers suggest that the rise in obesity rates may be explained by the addictive properties of certain types of food. In view of the growing obesity epidemic in South-East Asia, there is a need for a psychometric tool to assess the concept of food addiction amongst high-risk populations. The objective of this study is to translate the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) into the Malay language and subsequently validate its use in an obese population.

METHODS: Between the year 2014 and 2015, a total of 250 obese adults were assessed for food addiction utilizing the Malay version of the YFAS at a primary care clinic. An assessment of the psychometric properties of the scale was performed to determine the factor structure, item statistics and internal consistency of the scale.

RESULTS: A one factorial structure of YFAS was confirmed in this study through factor analysis. All items except 4 (items 19, 22, 24 and 25) had factor loadings >0.42. The internal reliability (KR-20) coefficient of the one-factor solution was α = 0.76. The mean YFAS symptom count was M = 2.74 (SD = 1.57) with 10.4% (N = 26) of the participants received the diagnosis of food addiction.

CONCLUSIONS: The determination of construct validity and the identification of other latent variables in the Malay food addiction model is necessary prior to the formal utilization of the scale as a tool to detect addictive eating patterns in the community.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
Fulltext The association of dietary behaviors and practices with overweight and obesity parameters among Saudi university students

Syed NK, Syed MH, Meraya AM, Albarraq AA, Al-Kasim MA, Alqahtani S, et al.

PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0238458.
PMID: 32911507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238458

BACKGROUND: Western dietary habits, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, are potential contributors to the prevalence and rapid increase in the incidence of obesity in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the association between students' weight status and their eating behaviors and practices. Another aim was to assess students' awareness of the health risks associated with obesity.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a sample of 416 (53% male and 47% female) undergraduate students, aged 18-26 years old, between January 6 and April 6, 2019, from colleges of Health Sciences at Jazan University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A). Students completed a self-administered questionnaire and recorded their measured anthropometric parameters.
RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight (20.4%) and obesity (14.9%) were relatively high among the participants. There were statistically significant associations between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the different settings of food consumption (i.e., dining on a table (or) in the Islamic way: squatting on the ground) (p<0.001)). BMI was also associated with students' dietary habits regarding consuming food, snacks, and drinking carbonated beverages while watching television (p<0.001), as well as consuming the same pattern of food/drink while watching television, playing video games on mobile phones or computers (p<0.001). Nearly most of the students were oblivious to the fact that metabolic syndrome, reproductive disorders, respiratory disorders along with liver and gallbladder diseases are some of the health risks associated with obesity.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of obesity and overweight were reasonably high in our study sample and were affected by several factors related to students' eating behaviors and practices. This warrants the need for rigorous and frequent health education interventions on healthy eating behaviors, dietary practices, with an emphasis on the importance of adopting an active, healthy lifestyle.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
Fulltext Parental Perceptions on the Importance of Nutrients for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the Coping Strategies: A Qualitative Study

Tan WY, Hamzaid NH, Ibrahim N

Nutrients, 2023 Mar 26;15(7).
PMID: 37049449 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071608

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that comes with co-occurring eating behavior such as limited food varieties, selective food intake, and repetitive eating patterns, contributing to significant challenges for their parents. Many parents find mealtimes difficult and develop anxiety or stress about their child's nutrition, health, and overall well-being. Hence, parents must equip themselves with the correct awareness and nutrition knowledge. An online open-ended semi-structured interview was conducted among fifteen parents from the community-rehabilitation program center to explore their understanding of nutrition's importance and the possible coping strategies when facing challenges. The interview sessions were recorded, followed by three researchers' coding processes. Data were then subjected to thematic analysis. The interview sessions suggested that the parents were aware of the autism trait eating behavior and had a general knowledge about nutrition. However, it was quite challenging when it came to preparation. Nevertheless, the parents are able to manage the challenges with unique kinds of coping strategies. In addition, a complete educational dietary intervention program including psychosocial aspects for parents is recommended for better effectiveness.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology
Fulltext Intraspecific differences in seed dispersal caused by differences in social rank and mediated by food availability

Tsuji Y, Campos-Arceiz A, Prasad S, Kitamura S, McConkey KR

Sci Rep, 2020 01 30;10(1):1532.
PMID: 32001788 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58381-0

We use individual-based information on the behavior of wild female Japanese macaques in two consecutive years with different food availability (nut-rich vs. nut-poor) to test effects of dominance rank and nut fruiting on seed dispersal parameters. We predicted that social rank would affect dispersal (1) quantity, (2) quality, (3) species richness, and (4) percentage of berries in the diet in the nut-poor year, while these differences would disappear in the nut-rich year. We found seeds of nine fleshy-fruited plant species in the feces of the monkeys. The frequency of seed occurrence for two plant species (Viburnum dilatatum and Rosa multiflora) showed an interaction between dominance ranks and years; in the nut-poor year V. dilatatum seeds were more abundant among dominant females and R. multiflora among subordinates, while such inter-rank differences disappeared in the nut-rich year. Similarly, the intact ratio of V. dilatatum seeds was lower for dominants in the nut-poor year, while inter-rank variations disappeared in the nut-rich year. Finally, percentage of berries in diet and seed richness showed no inter-annual nor inter-rank variations. Our study highlights that differences in individuals' social rank lead to within-group variation in seed dispersal services and that these differences are dependent on nut availability.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
The Romanian version of the Intuitive Eating Scale-2: Assessment of its psychometric properties and gender invariance in Romanian adults

Vintilă M, Todd J, Goian C, Tudorel O, Barbat CA, Swami V

Body Image, 2020 Dec;35:225-236.
PMID: 33157397 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.09.009

The construct of intuitive eating is most often measured using the 23-item Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2). Here, we examined the psychometrics of a Romanian translation of the IES-2. Eight-hundred-and-thirty Romanian adults completed the IES-2 along with measures of positive body image, symptoms of disordered eating, and psychological well-being. Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) with a split-half subsample (n = 420) indicated that IES-2 scores reduced to three factors in women and four in men, both of which diverged from the parent model. Confirmatory factor analysis with a second split-half sample (n = 410) indicated that the parent model had poor fit indices, whereas fit of the EFA-derived models were acceptable but not uniformly ideal. Scores on the 3-factor model - which had comparatively better fit of the models tested - had adequate internal consistency and evidenced scalar invariance across gender. However, evidence of test-retest reliability after four weeks (n = 205) was poor and evidence of construct validity, assessed through correlations with additional measures included in the survey, was weak at best. Based on these results, we question the degree to which the construct of intuitive eating can be applied to nations undergoing nutrition transitions.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
Parent-child feeding practices in a developing country: Findings from the Family Diet Study

Yang WY, Burrows T, MacDonald-Wicks L, Williams LT, Collins CE, Chee WSS

Appetite, 2018 06 01;125:90-97.
PMID: 29408380 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.037

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Given the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in Malaysia, examination of family environmental factors is warranted. Reviews from developed countries report inconsistent findings on the relationship between parental-child feeding practices and child weight-related health outcomes. The current study aimed to examine parent-child feeding practices by familial-child characteristics in Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: The Family Diet Study was conducted with urban Malay families and included a child aged 8-12 years and their main carer(s). Seven domains of parent-child feeding practices were assessed using the child feeding questionnaire and familial demographics, including socio-economic status, child anthropometry and dietary intake were collected. Inferential statistics were used to explore the relationships between variables.
RESULTS: Of the 315 families enrolled, 236 completed all measures, with the majority of parent-reporters being mothers (n = 182). One-third of the children were classified as overweight/obese. Three domains of parent-child feeding practices had median scores of 4.0 out of 5.0 [concern about child overweight (CCO) (Interquartile range (IQR): 3.3, 4.7); pressure-to-eat (PTE) (IQR: 3.3, 4.5) and food monitoring (IQR: 3.0, 5.0)]. The domain of 'perceived child overweight' was positively associated with child age (r = 0.45, p 

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*
Fulltext Validation of Infant and Young Child Feeding Questionnaire for the Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Child Care Providers: The IYCF-CCPQ

Zakria NM, Tengku Ismail TA, Wan Mansor WNA, Sulaiman Z

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 06 17;16(12).
PMID: 31213022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16122147

The validation of a new questionnaire is essential to improving its credibility in the assessment and collection of evidence. This study aimed to validate a newly developed infant and young child feeding questionnaire for child care providers (IYCF-CCPQ) to measure the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding infant and young child feeding among them. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 child care providers who were involved in handling children less than two years old in child care centers in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The IYCF-CCPQ was self-administered and consists of three domains: Knowledge (104 items), attitude (90 items), and practice (42 items). The dichotomous-scale items in the knowledge domain were analyzed using a two-parameter logistic model of item response theory (2-PL IRT). The Likert-type-scale items in the attitude section were assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The items in the practice section were assessed descriptively. Internal consistency by marginal reliability was assessed in the knowledge domain, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for the attitude domain. The marginal reliability values were 0.91 and 0.74 for the knowledge domains related to breastfeeding/formula feeding and complementary feeding, respectively, and the Cronbach's alpha values were 0.89 and 0.90 for the attitude domains related to breastfeeding/formula feeding and complementary feeding, respectively. The analysis showed good psychometric properties (discrimination, difficulty index, factor loading, and communalities) and good reliability. The IYCF-CCPQ is valid for use assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Malaysian child care providers regarding infant and young child feeding.

Matched MeSH terms: Feeding Behavior/psychology*